You never cared about anyone but Song Lan, even though he threw you out like garbage! Like you were me. You're not Xiao Xingchen, I know where he is and I'm going to bring him back. He won't bleat on and on like this —!

[ He drops to a knee to hack up a gobbet of blood and something gives in his chest, the stain of sobbing taking its toll after being skewered right through. His skeletal dog whines and comes closer, giving him its spine to grip onto as he coughs wetly into the dust. ]